St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
DRAMATIC DRIFT.


appearance in st. Paul tomorrow night
at the Grand opera house, where she
has weeks engagement in her cele-
brated production of "TheOdOra." AL
though Miss OLCoTT has been before
the public as dramatic star less than
three years, she has achieved reputa-
ton which ranks her among the first of
her profession.
"TheodOra" was originally written by
NJ. SARDoU for Nine. BERNHARDT, and
5its production by her is still regarded by
Sthe admirers of that eminent artist as
one of her most artistic achievements.
Miss OLCOTT had studied the part UNI
der SAEDoU'S immediate instruction.
and had played it before she ever saw
BERNHARDT in the part, and still plays
it as by her originally conceived and
elaborated. 1t was M. SARDOU's wish to
have '"TheOdora" presented on the
American stage with all the accompany
+ ing magnificence of scenery and cos
tuning with which it was produced in
Paris, and Miss OLCoTT, being in the
possession of a handsome fortune,
undertook, on her own account. TO com
ply with the authors wishes, She gives
@the play with, perhaps, the most costly
stage setting and paraphernaiia OF any
spfaytliat has ever been produced i'll this
country.
The Theodore of history gave ample
scope to dramatist with the genius of
SARDoU. Born and bred in circus,
Theodore afterwards graced g throne.
The first scene in SARDOU'S play pre-
SentS her surrounded by Splendor in the
palace. Among the court favoriteS is
AntOnina, the wife of BeliSarius, and
who was also a companion of Theodore
in the hippodrOme. AntOnina cOnfeSSeS
to Theodore that she has won her huS-
band by means of love pbilter. Ihe0-
dora determines to win the love OF her
husband, Justinian, by the, same
means, and resorts to an old sOr-
ceress called Tamia to procure
ognizeS her as the juggler of the circus:
At this period Byzantium is divided
into two factions known as the Blues
and the Greens. The former those who
are faithful to the Emperor Justinian.
and the latter the adherentS of Hypa-
patiuS. Adrian, who is leader in the
latter faction, is handsome, gay officer,
and accidentally meeting with Theo-
dora, neither knowing the others
identity. they mutually fall in love. he
makes known to her plot for captur-
ing and dethrOning the emperor, and she
defeats it. When the next day he rec
OgnizeS her among the royal party at
the hippOdrome, and learns that she is
the empress whose coronation anniyer-
Sary is being celebrated, his love turns
and is arrested and condemned
to death. Theodore saves his
life by Strategem. The Nika
rebellion follows, during which the
son of Tamia, the SorcereSs, is hanged
by the order of Justinian. To avenge
her sons death the sOrcereSS supplies
Theodore with a poison instead OF
love philter, which she expects to be
given to Justinian. Theodore is anX-
ious now to win the love of Adrian and
gives him the supposed philter, and he
dies in agony from the effects OF the
poison. The play ends with the eXecu-
ton of Theodore by order OF Justin
ian, who has discovered her love for
his hated rival.
The National Opera company closed
a successful season in Kansas City last
night. This week will be divided be-
| tween LeavenwOrth, st. Joseph, Lin
coin and Omaha, giving three perform
anees In the Exposition building in the
latter city. The company Will come Ill
rect from Omaha to st. Paul in its two
| special trains of twentY-one cars.
80
Manager SCOTT will remove two rows
of front seats from the parquette OF the
I Grand next week to give space for the
| National Opera orchestra. which num-
berS fifty instrumentalists. This Or
chestra was specially organized Tor the
National Opera company by GUSTAV
HINRICHs, the musicians being selected
from the principal orchestral societies
of New York. together with few for
eign impOrtationS, the latter including
the great English harpiSt, JOHN CHE
SHIRE.
| The following is complete list of
the principal artists that will appear in
the operas of the National cOmpany'S
repertoire for the st. Paul engagement:
Monday, Dec. 10, Nero" EMMA JUCH,
BERTHA PIERsON. CLARA POOLE,
AMANDA FABRIS, HELEN LUDINGTON.
ELOI SYLVIA, CHARLES BASSETT,
WILLIAM LUDWIG, WILLIAM MERTON,
and GEORGE ii. BRoDERICK; Tuesday,
Aida" Nine. FURsCH-MADI, CLARA
POOLE. BARTON MCGUCKIN, WILLIAM
LUDWIG, FRANK VETTA, GEORGE III.
BRoDERICK; Wednesday matinee,
"Queen of Sheba," Nine. FURsCH-MADI,
BERTHA PIERSON, ALONZO STODDARD,
CHARLES BAsSETT, BRODERICK and
MERTON; Wednesday evening, Faust"
EMMA JUCH, AMANDA FABRIS, AGNES
PERRING, BARTON MCGUCKIN, FRANK
VETTA. and ALONZO STODDARD.
AMELIA FRANCHI will be the premiere
in the bacchanal ballet i'll Faust"
with Mines. CICoNDIO, RIvA, Ca PEI
LETTI and BESESTI, from La Scala, of
Milan, as first dancers, and a corps de
ballet of forty coryphseeS'
Miss OLCoTT is one of the few women
on the stage who don't have to depend
on her profession for living. She is
the daughter of Brooklyn's most emf
nent physician. and owns in her own
name property which yields her an in
come of $4,000 a year. At sixteen
wears of age Miss OLCOTT had acquired
some reputation in literary circles as
the author of short poems and prose
sketches. which were published in
the leading New York journals.
While still in her teens she made up her
mind to enter the dramatic profession,
and applied herself to study of stage
art. Her debut was made in New York
and her success so decided that, with
the exception of one short tour, the
three years of her professional life have
been spent in the metropolis, where she
has played successive engagements in
the leading theaterS of that city. Her
brilliant production of Theodore at
Niblo's was the sensation of the New
York theatrical season last year.
~
10 MURPHY is said to be making more
clear money than any of the travelling
stars. He keeps his expenses down to
low water mark all the time, and plays
to big houses. Mr.. MURPHY is pretty
well fixed in the way of an accuhula-
ton of this worlds goods. His fortune
is now rated at round Sl,OO0,OU and
/ he has investments which it is thought
I i'm fen wears, time will increase his